yesterday i ventured out to chalmette for social reasons. usually i drive through the still devastated area on my way to meraux where a mobile clinic provides medical services. but not saturday. saturday i stopped in the parking lot of a gutted out store for the crawfish festival.

it was the first time it has been held since the hurricane. i don’t have anything to compare it to but it seemed small. nonetheless…there was a steady stream of people walking into the parking lot. kids screamed on rides and adults milled around huge stalls selling everything from crawfish boiled in huge vats to crawfish beignets.

this being new orleans, of course there was a daiquiri machine and the usual carnival/festival fare of funnel cake and candied apples.

this is just the beginning of festivals down here. today is the river festival down in algiers, next weekend is the strawberry fest and the week after is french quarter fest. of course jazz fest and essence fest come later on…no matter what has happened, new orleans and the surrounding areas definitely know how to bring food booze and fun to a peak.